Stop Denigrating Our Heritage: Brazilian-Yoruba Traditionalists Warn Nollywood Movie Producers

Adeyinka Olaiya, Sao Paulo/

Brazilian-Yoruba traditionalists have reacted strongly to some Yoruba Nollywood movies that portray the Yoruba traditional religion (Isese) as evil in their films and home videos.

While reacting to a Yoruba Nollywood movie tagged ‘Yahoo Babalawo’, Iyanifa Débora de Ogun of the Ile-Ase Dendê condemned Nigerian Yoruba people for not taking legal actions against derogatory movies projecting Isese as devilish.

“We here in Brazil are doing all our possible best to keep the religion of our forefathers alive. The real owners of the religion that are supposed to protect it from derogatory conditions are the ones killing the heritage by portraying it to the world as evil. This is sad,” she said.

Considered as one of the leading producers of home videos in the world, Nollywood movies are popular in Africa, Europe and the Americas. The industry in Nigeria is one of the most successful in the Nigerian entertainment industry, thousands of videos are launched monthly in English and local languages

The Oba Ogboni Iwashe, Oba Adekunle Aderounmu told NewsmakersNG: “I am very disappointed in the Nigerian Yoruba movie and film producers for always derogating the religion of our forefathers. If you don’t like the culture and the religion, you don’t have to portray it as evil. This same evil religion is practiced in the Americas, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Venezuela, Peru, Equador, Caribbean Islands, USA, and several other countries around the world. This same evil religion gives Brazil over $3 billion in three days of the annual carnival. You keep putting pastors and Imams as superior to Babalawo, yet you can’t even see a Nigeria of peace and tranquility. We dedicate our lives to exalting our culture, tradition and religion around the world.

Representing the Santo André district of the Babalawo and Ifa practitioners in Brazil, Babalawo Rodrigo Ifatunde de Ogan complained bitterly over the movie ‘Yahoo Babalawo’.

He said, “This is an insult to the Yoruba heritage. I have been to Nigeria. I have been to Oyo. I have seen how blessed the nation is. It is too bad for the government of Nigeria to allow this type of home video to be aired. This video can make people start running from traditionalists around the world. It is a shame that there is no organ to regulate this kind of rubbish attitude towards Isese.”

“While the Nigerian video documentarian, Tunde Kelani, travels around the world to promote the Yoruba culture, tradition and religion, some are busy destroying it back home in Nigeria by producing lies as home videos for the sake of making money and misleading the people,”  Brazil-based Nigerian Yoruba, Elijah Gbadebo said.

Speaking at his home office in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, High Chief KB Lawal told NewsmakersNG: “It is sad, that our home video producers are not helping to promote our culture and religion; instead, they try to destroy it by portraying Isese as evil. Brazil is having millions of shrines that promote the cause, the traditionalists here are living well; the richest people in Brazil are mostly frequenters of the Candomblés, Brazil’s version of the Yoruba religion. Let’s promote the culture and the religion of our forefathers. After all, most of our clergymen who condemn Isese to go at the back to the Yoruba traditionalists to search for powers.”

Reacting to the Yahoo Babalawo, Brazil-based Nigerian Ifa Priest from Ile-Ife, Prince Rasheed Adewale Adefioye (Adimula) described the title of the movie as “a disrespect to our culture, tradition and religion”.

He urged the body that represents the Nigerian movie industry to curb ignorant producers from constant attacks against the religion of “our forefathers”.

“It is a big shame that our culture and religion are better represented by foreigners here in Brazil and around the world than the Yoruba from Nigeria. I am not saying everybody should practice our Isese religion, I am only calling for respect, regarding those of us who still believe in our heritage, do yours and let’s do ours, this movie should be banned,” he said.

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